Jackson: Evans Said Jones Could Join Team

Rashad Evans has suggested trainer Greg Jackson is to blame for letting Jon Jones join their
camp and set up a teammate-versus-teammate matchup, but Jackson (Pictured) has a
different take.

“Rashad can say maybe he was uncomfortable with it, but
when I asked him if [Jones] could come on the team, he said yes,” Jackson
explained recently on the Sherdog Radio
Network’s “Beatdown” show. “Everybody said yes. There’s a ton of people I’ve
turned away because [team members] have said, ‘I’m not really comfortable with
that person. I don’t want you to do it.’ I’ve got a list of those guys too.
They’re very good fighters, and I’m not going to name names that I’ve had to
turn away for that very reason. Everybody was all right with [Jones], and now
they’re not.”

Jackson pointed out that Jones is one among many fighters
who have been allowed to join the Jackson’s MMA team. Evans is another.


“I want talented people around talented people,” Jackson said.
“Remember, these guys were really cool with each other until like a couple of
weeks ago and then it all kind of went downhill because I guess Jon said
something that hurt Rashad’s feelings and then it just kind of, I don’t know, it
went out of control from there.”

Jones said he would be willing to fight
Evans, and now Evans has said he’s willing to fight Jones, who won the UFC light
heavyweight title March 19 from Mauricio “Shogun”
Rua. Jackson will not be watching.

“If they choose to fight each
other, it’s not like I’m their dad or I own them or anything like that,” he
said. “If they’re making those choices, of course I’m disappointed, but if it’s
what everybody wants, then I’m just going to stay out of it.”

One outcome Jackson wants to avoid is the feeling among his fighters that they
should train with each other knowing they could meet one day in the cage.


“That’s part of the reason why we don’t want to fight each other,” he
said. “That’s what people will never understand. Business people will never
understand. … You want to keep that vibe of not having that around because
everyone’s going to hold on to their own techniques and no one’s really going to
grow. Why train with somebody in the first place if they’re not going to be
showing you stuff, not helping you out?”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 47:08).